Maria Zaharieva is an artist and iconographer born in Sliven, Bulgaria in 1971. Her interest in art began as early as five years old through clay sculptures and was further developed into other areas once she started taking art classes at the local children's centre. As her skills developed, she entered competitions and, in 1979, was the only representative from her hometown at the International Children's Art Festival, hosted in Sofia.

In 1985, Maria was accepted to the National Art School "Dimitar Dobrovich" (English) in Sliven, one of the three art schools in the whole country at the time. For the next five years there she studied painting, graphics, applied textiles, typography and art history.

After graduating from Art School, she began work as a designer at a textile factory until 1993, when Maria was accepted to join the first cohort of a newly offered course in Iconography at the "St. Cyril and St. Methodius" University of Veliko Tarnovo. Here she studied iconography, theology, fresco and mural painting, graphic techniques, decoration and the history of art and religion, graduating with a master's degree in Iconography in 1998.

During her studies at the University of Veliko Tarnovo, Maria experienced a spiritual calling to become an iconographer through a dream. This dream revealed that the icon is not merely a portrait, but rather a material depiction of a spiritually transfigured being. In the dream, a small child surrounded by a mandorla appeared to her while she was drawing on a podium. A mandorla is an aureole in the shape of an almond that signifies lifegiving power and light, and which appears in such famous icons as Our Lady of Guadelupe. At the sight of the child, Maria became speechless. Eventually, she asked if it would return, to which it replied, "Yes, I will be here, call to me". While she could not discern the child's gender and it was in regular clothes, she knew that it was the Virgin Mary appearing in spiritual form. This figure and its message have remained with Maria throughout her career as an iconographer. It reminds her that the saints will extend their help and power to those who strive to be righteous.

Maria's postgraduate studies also introduced her to the sacred methods and techniques of the old masters - Zographites (from the Greek "Zografos" - Iconographer or painter). The manuals or guidelines of iconography are known as Hermeneia, in which are written canons that must be followed when making an icon, relating to: the image of each saint, the techniques deployed for typography and practical work, and the pigments and materials that are used by the iconographer. This is a lengthy and rigorous process, since sourcing these materials in the modern day is very time-consuming. Zographites painted on boards that were first prepared with glue from animal bones, upon which was placed a layer of cotton fabric coated in precipitated chalk and gypsum applied at a precise ratio conscribed by the Hermeneia. For adhesion, egg yolk was used and, for elasticity, butter. This primer is then steamed using a water bath and applied an additional five or six times, before being sanded down with a round bone until smooth.

After graduating, Maria returned to her hometown to work in an advertising agency as a designer, while painting icons for commissions. She also began working as a curator at the Regional Gallery "Dimitar Dobrovich" (English), preparing materials and archives related to icons and paintings exhibited there.

Then in 2000, she began to work as an art teacher at the "Dobri Chintulov" High School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (English), while continuing to work as a curator and iconographer.

In 2009, she started working at the May (Май) Gallery of Independent Artists in Sliven. There, she exhibited many different artists and authors, and organised various events for them in the city. At that time, she experimented in secular art using different techniques and mediums including canvas painting, glass painting, ceramics and silk. Throughout those years, Maria also produced many sacred works, some of which were commissioned by parliamentary politicians, charitable organisations, hospitals and churches, therefore seeing her icons travel across the world. During this period, she also hosted personal exhibitions, some displaying her sacred art and others her contemporary secular paintings.

From 2013-2015, she worked as a graphic designer in Sliven, creating many designs for carpet and tapestry production, one of which was the icon of the Holy Trinity.

In the summer of 2015, Maria relocated to London with her son and began working outside of her expertise, pausing her artistic output for the next four years. However, in 2019, she resumed her creative endeavours by working on a series of abstract paintings in what little free time she could find. During this time, she found it difficult to obtain the materials required for iconography - wooden panels, primers, adhesives, tempera paints and even varnish. One day, she got a flash of inspiration for creating her own wooden panels whilst in a kitchen supply store. There she purchased a few wooden chopping boards that were then adapted to become the base of some new icons. This became an enjoyable activity with her creative side beginning to find suitable materials in a variety of unlikely places and shops. Yet, before work can be started on these repurposed boards, it is often necessary to isolate the wood from the different oils and primers they have been processed with, which involves using chemical degreaser and boiling the boards until the wood is returned to its natural state. After this, the boards are primed and sanded, at which point she can paint on them using egg tempera and gouache, gilding with fine gold leaf and finishing with varnish. Whilst her current processes do not strictly adhere to traditional methods, they are extremely refined by today's standards and present myriad challenges in preparation.

After a decade yearning to find an iconographic community in the UK, Maria discovered Aidan Hart's website in 2023, which led her to connect with other British-based iconographers. Aidan directed her to the British Association of Iconographers (BAI), and later that year, she attended their exhibition at Liverpool Parish Church. There, Maria and her son were warmly welcomed by Sr. Esther, who encouraged her to join the association. Since then, Maria's works and reflections on iconography have been featured in multiple issues of the BAI quarterly review and presented at BAI-organised events.

Website: https://www.mariazaharieva.com
Email: mariazaharieva2001@gmail.com
Instagram: @zaharieva.art